Happy Juneteenth everyone! This holiday, only recognized widely within the last few years, was established to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans and as a day to celebrate the influence and contributions that Black Americans have made to the culture and history of the United States. The list of Black people who have had an impact on this country is far, far too long to list, but the influence of many of these figures is felt even to this very day. In times like these, it is especially important, when racism and violence against the Black community, both individual and institutional, is on the rise, that we can take a day to honor both all that we have achieved and all the struggles that have been overcome on the way here. With that in mind, we have put together a book list with a variety of titles written by Black authors, with Black characters, that celebrate Black history, and joy!
You can find our book list at the link here. No matter what draws your eye, we hope that you have a wonderful Juneteenth! As a reminder, all of our locations will be closed on June 19th.
We are only six days away from finishing #The100DayProject for 2025! And I’m on track to finish! If I had to pick a theme for my projects this year it would be “Get Creative Getting Creative.” This year without really intending to, I ended up using a lot of supplies I already had lying around the house. OK, I did buy some new oil pastels, but other than that I used paper, journals, paints, etc. that I’ve had for a while. Continue reading “#The100DayProject: Nearly Done”
Happy Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! It is that time of year when we look at all the contributions and achievements of our friends and family in the AANHPI community, both past and present. With the increased anti-Asian hate during the pandemic, it is more important than ever to recognize the many ways that they have helped to shape our modern world for the better. With that in mind, DBRL has created a list of titles featuring AANHPI characters and stories, including some graphic novels and memoirs from various voices and backgrounds. Click here for the full book list.
Readers…gather round.
We have long awaited a fail-proof method of sniffing out something new to read. You’ve probably tried everything: recommendations from friends and family, the viral hype of a BookTok series (or three), and Goodreads recommendations. All these have been…well, not unhelpful…but here, today, in the form of this blog post, I offer you the most reliable method of choosing a new read: following the stars. Continue reading “YA Books For Your Sun Sign: Part I”
Back when I was studying for my MFA in the effervescently endless green of North Carolina’s Piedmont region, I was tasked with proposing a business that engaged with poetry in some way. A child of the “There’s an app for that” generation — and the exact opposite of what you might call a Shrewd Business Man™ — my idea was to create a location-based app that a user could turn to when in need of a poem to ground themselves in a particular place or landscape. 📲
What would it be like to read or listen to Matthew Arnold‘s 19th-century poem “Dover Beach” while standing near the Strait of Dover on its famous White Cliffs? 🌊
Or, in a more mundanely magical Mid-Missouri moment, to experience Mary Oliver‘s beloved poem “Wild Geese” while walking around the noisy gaggle that make their home at Stephens Lake? 🦢
A wonderfully wise poet-friend of mine often says each poem is only fully completed when it reaches its reader(s); I wonder how poems can be completed in the landscapes, places and moments we move through each day — and in turn, complete us in some small, necessary way. ✨ Continue reading “Poets Laureate We Love: Ada Limón 🌿”
We are finally halfway through #The100DayProject! I’m still going strong! I haven’t really stuck with one project or one medium, but that’s part of the fun, right? Continue reading “#The100DayProject: Check In”
At the Daniel Boone Regional Library, since the early winter months, you voted on 16 of our most popular young adult books.
Each week in March, teens voted to narrow down the list of contenders until a single title emerged as the Mid-Missouri teen book champion! Each round of voting entered teens for a chance for cool prizes and we’ll be announcing the winners of the drawing soon!
Thanks to all the teens, teachers, media specialists, and librarians who voted, created brackets and promoted the tournament!
And now without further ado:
Continue reading “2025 March Madness Champion Announced!”
Today, March 31, is “Transgender Day of Visibility.” Everyone is welcome in the library – today and always! To celebrate, we are amplifying transgender books, characters and authors! Here are some of our new favorites! Continue reading “Transgender Day of Visibility”
You don’t have to be a woman to be angry with the current state of…*gestures vaguely at everything*
As we come to the end of Women’s History Month and you’d like some feminine rage and empowered girls to carry you through, check out some of the titles below. Continue reading “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves”
Are you looking for your next great read? Do you think the books on book tok are overrated? Have you read EVERY book at your school? Have you asked your friends and family for recommendations, but they have questionable taste in books and now you have trust issues? Do you find it annoying when blogs start with a bunch of rhetorical questions as a gimmick to keep you reading? Well look no further – we have something just for you! Continue reading “Ask Book Oracle”
